Explore every episode of the podcast Blue Collar Business Podcast
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ep. 113 - Quality Control Systems: Building Profitable Project Management with Renee and Greg Glendenning | 28 oct. 2026 | 00:53:37 | |
Unchecked rework is the silent margin killer destroying construction profitability. Greg and Renee from QC University share their decades of federal construction expertise to help you stop bleeding cash. Implementing structured quality control is your primary defense against eating the costs of poorly planned design changes and scheduling oversights. By putting an inspection and testing plan in place during the bid phase, you stop footing the bill for other trades' mistakes. Proper daily reporting and site-specific testing matrices shield your bottom line. We break down how to properly dual-hat your field team and document every step without slowing production. For contractors tired of losing days to preventable tear-outs, this conversation provides a blueprint to document processes and enforce accountability. Subscribe and share this episode with a peer who hates rework. What is the most expensive mistake poor documentation has cost your crew? Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 112 - Field Labor to Founder: Managing Heavy Operations | 21 oct. 2026 | 01:06:43 | |
Building a service empire starts in the dirt, where margins are tight and physical tolls are unforgiving. This week, Sy takes on a solo episode and talks about how he was a ditch digger who traded his shovel for a balance sheet to build a profitable civil operation. He breaks down the brutal mechanics of scaling a blue-collar business. You'll hear the exact steps for financing heavy equipment and navigating the shift from field worker to manager. Sy covers the process of estimating jobs correctly, managing overhead, and avoiding the hidden equipment costs that ruin rookies. Growing a business requires airtight logistics and a fundamental shift in how you manage labor. For operators struggling to step out of daily field work, this provides a practical roadmap to delegate and scale. Subscribe and share this episode with a peer who needs to hear it. What was the hardest lesson you learned when hiring your first crew? Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 111 - Ignorance Tax: Surviving Your First Five Years with John Seaman | 14 oct. 2026 | 01:00:43 | |
Operating blind on job costs will bankrupt your business. John from JC Property Professionals joins Sy to break down the messy transition from field operator to actual business owner. They dissect exactly how to escape the operator hamster wheel by implementing tight operational systems and knowing your absolute numbers. Forget fair market value; if you bid to the market instead of your overhead, you leave money on the table. They unpack the ignorance tax of those early years, dealing with heavy operating expenses, and using basic CRM software to automate administrative headaches. For contractors suffocating under daily field operations, this conversation lays out a clear path to hiring a project manager and reclaiming your schedule. Subscribe and share this with a trade business owner struggling to step away from the tools. What specific system finally allowed you to leave the job site? Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 110 - Applied AI: Automating Construction Bids with Bassem Hamdy | 07 oct. 2026 | 01:03:26 | |
The days of subsidizing a general contractor's administrative overhead are over. Bassem Hamdy, CEO of BRIQ, brings 27 years of tech experience to explain why generic software fails the trades and how applied intelligence fixes it. Operators are drowning in ITBs while unrecorded field directives turn into margin fade before hitting the monthly forecast. Bassem details how specialized systems target these bottlenecks by scoring leads before an estimator even opens the file. We break down the mechanics of using closed language models to reclaim billable hours, process change orders, and completely eliminate double data entry from the job site. For subcontractors losing bids to slow estimating cycles, this conversation provides a blueprint to automate the intake pipeline. Please subscribe and share this episode with an operator who needs to audit their software spend. What administrative task is draining the most time from your field crews? Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 109 - Private Equity: Exiting the Utility Space with Shenar Wood | 30 sept. 2026 | 01:03:10 | |
Scaling a heavy civil operation often means suffocating under debt and yellow iron. Shenar Wood from Practical Grit, outlines his exact path from directional drilling to a strategic private equity rollup. Operators routinely bleed cash by mismanaging field production and running blind on financial data. Shenar breaks down the steps he took to prepare his underground utility company for a profitable exit. He shares the brutal cost of untangling messy accounting and why hiring a fractional CFO is non-negotiable for contractors wanting to increase margins. For heavy civil owners drowning in personal guarantees, this conversation delivers a clear roadmap to sell your company. Subscribe and share this episode with a fellow operator looking to clean up their operations. What specific metric are you tracking this week to increase job site profitability? Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 108 - Vacuum Trucks: The Shift in Utility Digging with JC Spalding | 23 sept. 2026 | 01:05:06 | |
A single utility strike can bankrupt a project before lunch. JC Spalding, owner of 502 Equipment, explains why hydro excavation is rapidly replacing manual spot digging across the nation. Leaving traditional methods behind requires serious capital, but failing to adapt exposes contractors to catastrophic liability. JC breaks down the true cost of operating vacuum trucks compared to the financial ruin of hitting an undocumented main. He unpacks the necessary shift in safety protocols and how equipping operators with the correct accessories minimizes downtime on high-value machinery. For utility contractors weighing the transition to hydro excavation, this conversation outlines the exact operational considerations to make the leap. Subscribe and share this episode with your field supervisors. What is the most expensive subsurface surprise your crew has encountered? Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 107 - Track Your Data: Stop Leaving Profit Behind with Alec Pestov from vSite | 16 sept. 2026 | 01:10:43 | |
Unseen utility lines and bad data quietly drain civil construction margins. Alec Pestov, founder of vGIS, explains how 3D site scanning instantly protects your bottom line. Many contractors run complex excavation projects on messy spreadsheets. We map out a unified operational system built specifically for the underground space. You will learn how to use standard iPads to capture open trench scans, document foreign crossings, and convert field redlines into billable quantities. When engineers challenge your pay apps, having time-stamped visual data ends the argument fast. For utility operators fighting over change orders, this provides a blueprint to back up your billing with indisputable proof. Subscribe and share this conversation with a project manager needing better field tracking. What is the most expensive site condition you failed to properly document? Let us know in the comments. Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 106 - People Problems: Fixing Your True Bottleneck with Mike Matalone | 09 sept. 2026 | 01:02:29 | |
Your biggest cash flow issues are just people problems in disguise. Mike Matalone unpacks why contractors consistently fail at hiring and retaining skilled labor. Stop hunting for natural-born leaders. Operational growth comes from establishing non-negotiable core values and transforming average recruits into high-performers through strict accountability. We break down exact interview tactics needed to weed out uncoachable candidates. Instead of letting high turnover erode profit margins, you must define specific job KPIs before posting an ad. Aligning personal goals with company targets turns you from a babysitter into a true business owner. For operators trapped in the daily grind of managing chaotic crews, this conversation provides a clear roadmap to build an autonomous team. Subscribe and share this episode with a fellow contractor battling high turnover. What test do you use during interviews to determine if a candidate is truly coachable? Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 105 - Real Dirt Training: Building an Education Network with More Dirt Pro | 02 sept. 2026 | 01:14:13 | |
The industry complains about a lack of skilled operators instead of actually training them. Cole Morse and the More Dirt Pro team break down how they launched an interactive app and hands-on dozer school to solve this gap. We review the logistics of bringing complete beginners into the seat to safely cut slopes and hit hubs. Relying purely on machine control creates vulnerable crews, so we explain why learning to pull grade freehand beats staring at a rover when the satellites drop out. Securing corporate backing and dealing with heavy equipment overhead takes serious conviction. For dirt contractors frustrated by green hands breaking iron, this conversation delivers actionable methods to structure entry-level training. Please subscribe and share this specific episode with an earthmoving peer. Are you pushing new operators to master manual grade checking before introducing cab monitors? Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 104 - Staying Small: Beating the Trap of Endless Growth with Ron Bylo | 26 août 2026 | 00:59:15 | |
Chasing endless growth can slowly drain the life out of a business owner. Too many contractors are burning themselves out trying to feed a massive payroll instead of doing the actual work they love. Ron Bylo of Bylo Acres joins the show to share his deliberate choice to step back from managing crews and build a highly profitable solo residential excavation company. We sit down to unpack the exact framework behind his success in the residential dirt world. We get into establishing bracketed pricing, mastering true job costing to absorb the blow of a broken mulcher tooth, and handling steep terrain drainage issues in the Ozarks. Ron operates with a unique philosophy that your business is simply a tool to support your family's freedom, which completely changes how you approach marketing and filtering client leads. Managing a team and acquiring fleet assets brings a heavy burden of scheduling, maintenance headaches, and continuous phone calls that pull you right out of the cab. You will walk away from this conversation with a method for pricing your daily operating costs, tactics for using simple social media stories to build local trust, and the mindset shift required to walk away from a bad project. If you care about taking control of your schedule, locking in your job costs, and building a highly loyal customer base, you’ll get a lot from this. Please subscribe to the channel and share this episode with a fellow contractor who might be stuck carrying too much weight on their shoulders. What is the single biggest hidden expense that caught you off guard when you priced your first few jobs? Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 103 - Calluses Sell: The Power of Blue-Collar Networking with Cheri and Rocco Molfese | 19 août 2026 | 01:01:17 | |
A piece of paper will never show what a man with callused hands can actually build in the field. As the older generation retires and the skilled labor gap widens, figuring out how to properly vet and hire true craftsmen is the difference between making schedule and going bankrupt. Rocco and Cheri Molfese, founders of Crown Coverings and the Collars app, join the show to share their specific expertise in changing the hiring landscape for tradesmen. We sit down to discuss the painful lessons learned from taking a massive personal risk to build a commercial flooring enterprise from the ground up. We get into navigating the jump from residential to commercial, the hidden leverage of value engineering, and how to manage general contractor relationships before scissor lifts completely derail your floor prep. The real breakthrough comes when Rocco explains how a visual portfolio tells a more complete story of a worker's value on a prevailing wage job than a generic AI-generated resume ever could. Running a trade business takes a massive mental toll when you are acting as the bank for contractors and maxing out personal credit lines just to keep the lights on during an economic downturn. Moving into the commercial sector requires serious grit and a willingness to step in and save the day when other crews fall behind schedule. You will walk away with a clear understanding of why protecting your company with a lien is just smart business, and how leaning on local supply house relationships can keep your cash flow alive during massive contract payouts. If you care about hiring reliable crews, expanding your commercial footprint, and fixing the broken application process, you’ll get a lot from this. Please subscribe to the channel and share this episode with another contractor who is fighting in the trenches right now. What is the hardest part about vetting new talent in your specific trade today? Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 102 - Ditch the Whiteboard: Simple Tracking for Dirt Crews with Long Nguyen | 12 août 2026 | 00:44:51 | |
Untracked dirt and lost load tickets are a direct leak in your profit margin. In an economy where margins are tightening and projects demand precision, you can no longer afford to guess what your equipment and crews are actually costing you day-to-day. Today, we sit down with Long Nguyen, the solo founder and developer of SpoilStack, who built a straightforward dirt-tracking platform specifically to eliminate the friction between field crews and front-office data. We get into the exact mechanics of bringing modern tech to the dirt world without alienating your foremen. We cover tracking load counts in real-time, matching machine hours to initial estimates, and the fatal flaws found in over-engineered project management systems. Long's core philosophy is that the tool should soak up the work rather than create it, meaning software must be dead simple if you ever expect an operator out in the mud to actually hit the submit button. The reality of implementing new tech is that change is exhausting for a crew already battling summer heat, machine downtime, and tight deadlines. Getting your guys to simply download an app and log a dump truck ticket can turn into a massive headache if the friction is too high. You will walk away from this conversation with a clear framework for reducing that operational friction, a better understanding of how field-level documentation bridges the estimation gap, and a stark reminder that relying on memory or disorganized text threads will eventually cost you real money. If you care about tightening your estimating cycle, stopping profit leaks, and getting your field operators on the exact same page as your office, you’ll get a lot from this. Please make sure to subscribe to the channel and share this episode with another contractor who is currently fighting to keep their operations organized. What is the absolute biggest hurdle you face when trying to roll out a new process to your crews in the field? Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 101 - Process Before Software: Fixing Construction Chaos with Moustafa Moursy | 05 août 2026 | 00:59:46 | |
Relying on a yellow pad and a good memory is a guaranteed way to lose a six-figure contract. As the market tightens and technology evolves, failing to track your sales and production data means you are actively bleeding profit out of your bottom line. Moustafa Moursy from Push Analytics joins the show to explain how to build foolproof, foundational systems that actually work for blue-collar businesses. We sit down to unpack the exact framework for transitioning from a chaotic, people-dependent operation to a streamlined, system-dependent machine. We get into flow-charting your current workflow, integrating client relations management platforms like HubSpot or Monday.com, and leveraging tools like Claude for real-time production analysis. The real breakthrough comes when you understand that buying an expensive piece of software is entirely useless if you haven't properly mapped out the foundational human processes first. The hardest part of scaling isn't paying for the software, but getting your seasoned superintendents and estimators to actually use it without walking off the job. We break down the heavy friction of changing established field habits, the painful financial cost of neglected follow-ups, and the trap of trying to build a system for a $10 million company when you are currently doing $5 million. You will walk away with a clear roadmap to map your baseline workflow, prioritize necessary features over bloated tech fluff, and hold your crews accountable without micromanaging. If you care about lead capture, bid tracking, and operational efficiency, you’ll get a lot from this. Please remember to Subscribe to the channel and Share this episode with another contractor who is currently drowning in disorganized paperwork. What is the one operational bottleneck you are committing to finally systemize this week? Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 100 - Geotech Reports: Decoding the Dirt Before Digging with Ben Brunni | 29 juil. 2026 | 01:04:36 | |
A bad number off the desk cannot be fixed in the field, no matter how hard your crews work. Margins in the dirt and pipe game require precision, meaning contractors can no longer afford to guess on their quantities or rely on a hunch for an estimate. Ben Brunni from PayDirt Support joins the 100th episode to break down exactly how modern earthwork and utility contractors are securing their profits before a single piece of iron comes off the lowboy. We sit down to unpack the mechanics of a truly bulletproof takeoff and why missing the fine print in the specs can completely derail a project's cash flow. The conversation covers the transition from traditional layout methods to leveraging GPS machine control, the hidden risks buried deep inside geotech reports, and how years of production data are being transformed into estimating software with Earth Pro. Ben shares a grounded philosophy on technology, explaining that embracing AI isn't about replacing your intuition, but rather automating the mundane tasks so your pre-construction team can focus entirely on strategy and risk management. The reality of the estimating process is often exhausting, filled with sleepless nights and the gut-wrenching feeling of waiting on supplier numbers just hours before a hard bid deadline. It takes serious discipline and upfront capital to implement tools like base and rovers or automated workflows, and many contractors resist this shift because they naturally fear what they do not understand. You will walk away from this conversation with a clear understanding of what a quality takeoff actually looks like and why shooting the top of pipe on every single bell is the cheapest insurance policy your utility crew can buy. If you care about accurate job costing, speeding up your sales cycle, and eliminating rework in the trench, you’ll get a lot from this. Please remember to subscribe to the Blue Collar Business Podcast and share this milestone episode with another contractor who needs to hear it. What is the most expensive mistake you have ever found hidden inside a geotechnical report? Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 99 - Inclusive Networking: Building Spaces for Blue-Collar Pros with Queenie Be | 22 juil. 2026 | 00:56:59 | |
Isolation is a quiet business killer in the trades. Right now, prioritizing face-to-face analog relationships is proving to be the most reliable way to secure consistent leads and build resilient, long-lasting partnerships in a highly digital world. We sit down with Queenie Be, a former ICU nurse practitioner who executed a massive career pivot to found Hive Networking, to discuss how she built the largest inclusive professional ecosystem in her region. We get into the exact mechanics of building massive analog events that trade stuffy hotel ballrooms for active warehouses and heavy equipment yards. The conversation covers how residential and commercial contractors can leverage face-to-face meetings, the logistical realities of organizing 800-person gatherings, and the launch of the Buzz Tank initiative to fund local entrepreneurs. Her overarching philosophy centers on the power of being aggressively friendly, proving that walking into a room to support the community yields far better long-term results than simply hunting for an immediate sale. Building these massive community spaces frequently exposes the serious mental health challenges and sheer loneliness disproportionately affecting men on the job site today. We break down the heavy stigma placed on the working class by a society obsessed with traditional college pathways, and how constantly pushing against that cultural grain takes a mental toll. You will walk away with a better understanding of how to leverage your natural capabilities and a firm reminder that you inherently belong in the corporate rooms you quite literally built with your own two hands. If you care about building strong local partnerships, prioritizing mental health on your crew, and expanding your business footprint without relying on cold digital outreach, you’ll get a lot from this. Make sure to subscribe to the channel and share this episode with a fellow contractor who could use the encouragement to step out of their comfort zone. What is the single biggest hurdle keeping you from showing up and shaking hands at a local industry event? Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 98 - Solo Contracting Success: How One Painter Masters Social Media with Ryan Dandrea | 15 juil. 2026 | 01:03:25 | |
Relying on expensive lead generation services is draining your profits and stunting your business growth. If you are still buying shared leads while ignoring the digital footprint of your brand, you are leaving money on the table for your competitors to claim. Today, we sit down with Ryan Dandrea, a solo painting contractor with over 15 years of experience who completely replaced his paid marketing with an organic social media engine. We get into the exact mechanics of building an autonomous solo operation that leverages tools like AI lead qualifiers to streamline scheduling. We discuss the transition from taking any project to strictly vetting clients, the value of cross-platform posting, and why you should be tagging material vendors in your daily job site content. Ryan shares his counterintuitive philosophy that your local competitors are actually your greatest asset when it comes to managing overflow work and keeping your clients on schedule. Building a self-sustaining pipeline requires pushing through the initial friction of content creation and dealing with local critics. We discuss the real toll of trade industry burnout, the danger of not understanding your true job costs, and the frustration of managing daily operations out of your head instead of a dedicated system. You will walk away with a clear framework for qualifying prospects and a strict reminder to prioritize your own mental health before the quality of your finish work starts to suffer. If you care about protecting your profit margins, building a reputable solo operation, and taking control of your local market presence, you’ll get a lot from this. Please make sure to subscribe to the channel and share this conversation with another contractor who needs to hear it. What is the one red flag that instantly makes you walk away from a new project estimate? Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 97 - Call Before Catastrophe: Modernizing 811 Safety with William Sanders | 08 juil. 2026 | 00:54:50 | |
Striking an underground utility isn't just a costly delay; it is a life-or-death gamble for your crew. With infrastructure expanding daily and mapping systems struggling to keep up, understanding how to navigate the subsurface is more critical than ever. Today, we sit down with William "Bo" Sanders, the Education and Outreach Liaison at OKIE811, to break down the real-world stakes of damage prevention. We get into the exact mechanics of keeping your team safe and your projects moving forward without a hitch. We discuss the importance of utilizing one-call centers, standardizing APWA color codes, and leveraging free digital mapping and safety resources. Bo shares a compelling shift in perspective: what if we stopped just reacting to line strikes with fear and started actively celebrating the underground contractors who flawlessly execute damage prevention protocols? The reality of excavation is steeped in constant unpredictability and immense liability once you break ground. It is incredibly frustrating to juggle different state legislations, hunt down localized utility maps, and deal with the fallout of unauthorized line strikes just because someone wanted to build a fence. You will walk away from this conversation with a clear mindset shift on how to integrate best digging practices into your daily operations and why sharing this knowledge early on might just prevent a regionalized disaster. If you care about keeping your crews safe, minimizing project downtime, and elevating the standards of the trades, you’ll get a lot from this. Make sure to subscribe and share this episode with anyone running equipment, managing a site, or planning a dig. What is the biggest hurdle your crew currently faces when trying to get accurate utility locates? Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 96 - No More Reopened Trenches: Tech That Actually Works with Alec Pestov | 01 juil. 2026 | 01:14:52 | |
Downtime and disputes over unseen work are a massive profit leak for middle-market contractors. The traditional methods of documenting underground utilities are failing, costing crews both time and leverage when engineers or owners push back on invoices. Alec Pestov, founder and CEO of vGIS Inc., joins us to share how his company is solving the documentation nightmare with practical, phone-based 3D scanning. We get into the actual workflow of bringing technology into the ditch without overwhelming your crews. We cover 3D scanning utility locates via iPhone, utilizing digital twins for underground progress, and bridging the gap between field data and administrative billing. Alec shares a massive realization his team had: building tech in a lab guarantees failure in the field, so they spent their time in the trenches observing how contractors actually dig and map fiber and pipe. The hardest part of adopting new construction software isn't paying for it; it's surviving the field's rejection when a tool fails on the very first try. You will walk away from this conversation understanding how to pair the right process with the right tool, keeping it simple enough for the installer while giving the front office the exact elevation and geo-referenced data needed to fight rejected change orders. If you care about damage prevention, protecting your project margins, and closing the technology gap in your utility business, you’ll get a lot from this. Please make sure to subscribe to the channel and share this episode with another contractor who needs to hear it. What is the biggest software rollout failure you have experienced in the field, and what did it teach you about your crew's daily workflow? Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 95 - Bad Culture Bankrupts: Building a Blue-Collar Team that Stays with David McCune | 24 juin 2026 | 01:05:34 | |
Chasing production while ignoring the people doing the work is a guaranteed profit leak. Right now, contractors are struggling to find and keep reliable help, constantly pointing fingers at the labor pool instead of looking at why their teams are turning over. David McCune, Vice President of Operations at Land Development Group, joins the show to share his boots-on-the-ground expertise on building teams that actually want to stick around for the long haul. We sit down to unpack the real mechanics of building a functional workplace, stepping past the corporate buzzwords to focus on what actually works out in the dirt. The conversation hits heavy on prioritizing core values over raw output, dealing with toxic high producers, and establishing clear accountability metrics for superintendents and crews. David shares a pivotal mindset shift by reframing standard core values as "house rules," creating a baseline that is hard for anyone on the payroll to misunderstand or ignore. Building a solid foundation means making some hard, expensive decisions, like letting go of the guy pulling the most footage because his attitude is a liability to the rest of the crew. You will walk away from this conversation with a clear understanding of the financial sting of high turnover, the direct link between crew chemistry and job site safety, and a firm check on your own leadership blind spots. Sometimes the bottleneck in your business isn't the market or the hiring pool, but the daily environment you have personally allowed to take root. If you care about building a legacy company, reducing expensive turnover, and leading your crew with solid integrity, you’ll get a lot from this. Make sure to subscribe to the channel and share this episode with another contractor who needs to hear it. What is the hardest leadership habit you've had to break to improve your team's daily environment? Chapters: 0:00 - Introduction and Welcome Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 94 - Bidding the Cost: Stop Bleeding Cash in the Field with Josh Luebker | 17 juin 2026 | 01:36:51 | |
Running blind on your job costs is a guaranteed way to bleed cash. With fluctuating material prices and tighter lending, operating on razor-thin margins without a financial baseline will sink a construction business faster than ever before. I sit down with Josh Luebker, President of The Construction CFO, to break down exactly how to bridge the gap between field execution and long-term financial strategy. We get into the mechanics of building an airtight estimate that actually reflects the reality of the dirt work. We discuss the necessity of tracking labor burden, the proper way to structure a work in progress (WIP) report, and how utilizing a schedule of values for general conditions keeps your cash flow moving even when equipment is sitting idle. Josh shares a crucial shift in perspective: your working relationship with a general contractor should never outweigh your operational cash flow. The hard reality of stepping up from superintendent to CEO means confronting the financial mess you might be ignoring. We discuss the heavy toll of unpaid change orders, the frustration of financing a project out of your own pocket due to 90-day payment delays, and the mental weight of carrying overhead without knowing your true baseline numbers. You will walk away with a clear framework for tracking field production against your estimated costs so you can catch a losing job before it completely tanks your profitability. If you care about protecting your profit margins, holding general contractors accountable, and scaling a construction business with actual cash flow, you’ll get a lot from this. Make sure to subscribe to the channel and share this episode with another contractor who needs to lock down their financial systems. What is the most painful financial lesson you've had to learn on a job site? Chapters: 0:00 - Intro & 811 Conference Recap Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 93 - Build Business Capital: Beyond the Personal Guarantee | 10 juin 2026 | 00:56:21 | |
Most business owners in the trades break into the industry relying entirely on grit and personal credit cards to survive the early cash flow cycles. You start making more money than you've ever seen in your life, but the minute you go to the bank for a line of credit or try to win a massive commercial contract, you get hit with a sudden denial because nobody ever taught you how to build a proper corporate credit profile. Sy Kirby sits down with business credit expert Gerri Detweiler to break down exactly how entrepreneurs can proactively step out of the day-to-day chaos to map out a secure financial future. We sit down to demystify the opaque world of small business lending and trade credit. Gerri shares tactical steps on how to establish an LLC or S-corp that builds its own reputation as a separate legal entity. We get into why most mom-and-pop vendors fail to report your on-time payments, how the Small Business Financial Exchange acts as a hidden warehouse for top-tier lenders, and the exact process for identifying trade lines that do not require personal credit checks. Gerri also shares a crucial "aha" moment regarding the lack of federal consumer protections on business debit cards, revealing how a single skimmer pump incident can completely wipe out your operational checking account for months. The reality of scaling a capital-heavy subcontracting business is that you will eventually face high-stakes moments where tomorrow is payroll and the cash flow flywheel is completely off the rails. It is easy to get lured in by aggressive lenders slinging fast advances with devastating factor rates that take money right off the top of your daily merchant accounts. True financial survival requires absolute visibility into your balance sheet and a 13-week cash forecast so you can actively communicate with your vendors before a crisis hits. You will walk away from this conversation with a blueprint for checking the creditworthiness of your own commercial partners and a strategy to shift high-interest liability away from your family's personal mortgage. If you care about commercial asset protection, scaling your operational overhead sustainably, and maintaining a bulletproof reputation in your local market, you’ll get a lot from this conversation. Be sure to Subscribe and Share this episode with another contractor who is currently fighting fires in the field. What is the biggest financial blind spot you discovered in your own cash flow cycle this year? Let us know in the comments below. Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 92 - Fight for Your Crew: Changing Bad Policy Before It Hits the Field | 03 juin 2026 | 00:43:06 | |
The hidden cost of bad excavation data isn't just a hit to your bottom line; it is a direct threat to the lives of your crew members on site. When project owners withhold accurate utility maps to shield themselves from legal fault, field crews are left to dig blind, relying on paint lines that might not tell the whole story. We sit down with Sarah Magruder Lyle and Jerrod Henschel at the CGA Conference to look closely at why relying on basic compliance is no longer enough to protect underground workers. We get into the specific operational bottlenecks that occur when field teams over-notify tickets, which accidentally forces utility locators to rush through critical safety checks. The conversation covers the legislative push for mandatory reporting, the ongoing efforts to remove municipal exemptions, and how the DIRT report is being used to accurately track fault. Jerrod Henschel shares his perspective on the financial realities of field downtime, highlighting why structured advocacy is the only way to challenge outdated state codes. Fixing a fragmented system requires moving past finger-pointing and realizing that safety rules are dictated state by state. Every territory operates under a separate regulatory framework, meaning a process that keeps a crew safe in one county could lead to a severe strike just across the state line. True progress requires shifting from reactive problem-solving to proactive legislative engagement before bad policy is signed into law. Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 91 - Damage Prevention Redefined: Tech Tactics with CGA Co-Chairs | 27 mai 2026 | 00:48:36 | |
When excavators saturate the system with massive, multi-block requests for minor digs, the entire ecosystem stalls, pushing schedules out by days and trapping crews in costly holding patterns. In this episode, we sit down with Adam Zeciri of Subterranean Consulting Group and Jim Plasynski of KorTerra, who co-chair the Common Ground Alliance technology committee, to map out the high-stakes reality of utility locate management. Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 90 - Bilingual Safety First: Stopping Construction Line Strikes | 20 mai 2026 | 00:25:25 | |
Downtime is a profit leak, but a line strike due to a language barrier is an outright tragedy. Right now, infrastructure projects are booming all across the country, yet a massive portion of the boots on the ground doing the actual digging are left completely in the dark regarding critical regulations. We sit down with Rosemary Langowski, a bilingual damage prevention specialist at Washington Gas, to discuss the critical disconnect between management safety mandates and what Spanish speaking crews actually understand. We get into the hard data showing why safe digging practices cannot afford to be lost in translation. Rosemary breaks down the updated Common Ground Alliance Best Practices, highlighting the bilingual task team efforts that urge nationwide operations to provide material in a worker’s native language. We explore the implementation of free, micro sized learning modules designed specifically for rapid excavator training, and we tackle the absolute necessity of giving every single laborer on site stop work authority regardless of their position. The unglamorous truth is that many contractors claim they do not have near misses or line strikes simply because they fail to document them or talk to their labor force. Investing just forty five minutes of your morning to feed your crew donuts and walk through a toolbox talk in their primary language is significantly cheaper than a devastating utility repair bill or an injury report. You will walk away from this conversation with immediate, zero cost training solutions that bridge the communication gap on site. If you care about protecting your workforce, avoiding catastrophic utility damage, and building an ironclad company culture based on mutual trust, you will get a lot from this episode. Be sure to subscribe to the Blue Collar Business Podcast and share this with a fellow contractor who needs to hear it. What is the biggest step you are taking this month to ensure your Spanish speaking crews actually comprehend your safety protocols? Let us know in the comments below. Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 89 - Damage Prevention Truths with CGA Contractor Experts | 13 mai 2026 | 00:48:39 | |
Utility strikes are more than just a production delay; they are a massive financial liability and a significant threat to crew safety. For years, the people actually doing the digging were left out of the policy-making rooms, resulting in a system where locators and excavators often operate at odds. We sit down at the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) conference to discuss how the "boots on the ground" are finally taking a seat at the table to overhaul damage prevention. Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 88 - Utility Safety: The Cost of Taking Shortcuts | 08 mai 2026 | 00:58:52 | |
Unmarked utilities and accidental strikes are more than just a nuisance; they are massive profit leaks that put lives at risk every single day. In an industry where the pressure to produce often outweighs the patience to be safe, the "boots on the ground" are frequently the ones left holding the bag when things go sideways. In this episode, I sit down at the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) conference with industry veterans Josh Hinrich, Scott Brown, and Eric Metzger to bridge the gap between those who mark the lines and those who dig them. We sit down to dismantle the adversarial relationship between excavators and locators to find a more profitable, safer path forward. We get into the tactical realities of damage prevention, including the implementation of "positive response" systems, the technical challenges of directional drilling, and why "white lining" your job site is a non-negotiable step for crew efficiency. The panel shares the "secret sauce" of utility safety: a culture shift toward "trust but verify" that moves beyond the paperwork and into real-time communication between stakeholders. The unglamorous truth is that our industry is facing a massive knowledge gap and a turnover crisis in the locating community that affects your bottom line. Whether it's the overwhelming volume of tickets from fiber buildouts or the struggle to provide safety training across language barriers, the logistics of keeping a job site "clean" are getting harder, not easier. You will walk away with a clear understanding of how to use CGA best practices to protect your business and a mindset shift that views the local locator as a partner rather than a hurdle. If you care about protecting your crew, minimizing downtime, and mastering the logistics of underground utilities, you’ll get a lot from this episode. Please subscribe and share this with anyone in the trades who is tired of playing "utility roulette" on their job sites. Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 87 - Family First ROI: Why Presence is Provision with Cory Carlson | 29 avr. 2026 | 00:54:03 | |
Downtime is a profit leak, but a broken home is a life-altering bankruptcy that many leaders in the trades don’t see coming until the papers are served. In an industry where we pride ourselves on building the world around us, we often let our own foundations crumble under the weight of 70-hour weeks and the "provision" trap. We sit down with executive coach and author Cory Carlson to discuss how to stop the cycle of burnout and reclaim the role of leader in your own household. We sit down to tackle the unvarnished reality of mental health in construction, where high-stakes pressure often leads to isolation and addiction. Cory breaks down his "5 Capitals" framework—Spiritual, Relational, Physical, Intellectual, and Financial—to show how true wealth is measured by more than a bank balance. We get into tactical strategies like the "Family Strategy Session," the necessity of dating your spouse, and why your kids need to hear about your failures at work just as much as your wins. The secret sauce is Cory’s "Rise and Go" philosophy: the understanding that while every leader gets knocked down, the great ones develop the systems to get back up faster. The unglamorous truth is that being a provider means nothing if you are a stranger at your own dinner table. It takes more discipline to put the phone down and "listen with your eyes" than it does to manage a million-dollar job site, yet the stakes of failing at home are infinitely higher. You will walk away from this conversation with a concrete method to audit your life and a warning that if you don't intentionally schedule your priorities, your business will eat your legacy alive. Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 86 - Machine Control Secrets for Grading and Utilities with Matt Gillett | 22 avr. 2026 | 01:16:08 | |
Downtime is not a mechanic problem, it is a profit leak that can wipe out a week of work in two days. We sit down with Matt Gillett, founder of Gillett Excavating in Michigan, to tell the truth about what it takes to grow an excavation company from a $500 start into a full service heavy civil construction and underground utilities contractor. The stories are raw because the lessons are expensive, and we want you to steal the learning without paying the same tuition. Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 85 - Stop Hiring C-Players: Using Tech to Scale with Jonathan Whistman | 15 avr. 2026 | 01:18:24 | |
If you’ve ever said, “We can’t find good people,” this conversation challenges the real problem: we’re not building a place good people want to belong. I’m joined by Jonathan Whistman, CEO of WhoHire and founding partner of The Sales Boss, to talk about how blue collar business owners can build a team competitors can’t beat or steal by focusing on identity, standards, and the full human experience at work. Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 84 - Identify the Need: Building a Niche Empire in the Trades with Ed Katz | 08 avr. 2026 | 01:19:02 | |
A competitor ten times bigger rolls into town, undercuts your price, and takes your market share nearly overnight. Most owners panic, cut margins, and burn out. Ed Katz did something different: he listened to what customers kept asking for, built a system to deliver it, and turned adversity into a breakthrough that transformed commercial moving. Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 83 - Why Your Crews are Failing at Implementation with Ron Nussbaum | 01 avr. 2026 | 01:25:37 | |
If your crews are working hard but the money still disappears, the leak might be communication, not effort. Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 81 - Digging Blind: The 811 Truth No One Tells You with Khrysanne Kerr | 18 mars 2026 | 00:27:16 | |
This episode was filmed live at Con Expo in Las Vegas! Join us for this special episode with Khrysanne Kerr! A locate mark that’s a few feet off can wreck a schedule. A utility strike can change a life. That’s why we sat down with Khrysanne Kerr from the Common Ground Alliance, one of the leaders behind the nationwide 811 Call Before You Dig campaign, to talk through what’s actually happening inside the locate system and what contractors can do to make it work better. Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 80 - Contractor to Consultant: How Kory Mitchell Mastered the Exit | 11 mars 2026 | 01:03:36 | |
Want a blueprint for selling your contracting business without losing your identity or your team? We sit down with Kory Mitchell, founder of Iconic Founders Group and former CEO of a 200M environmental firm, to unpack how blue-collar owners can scale with intention, de-risk the books, and exit with clarity and control. Kory shares how he grew from a family asbestos shop to 37 locations through a mix of organic expansion and 13 acquisitions, and why the best deals hinge on people diligence, not just financials. Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 79 - Overbilling is Survival: Managing Construction Cashflow With Ben Justesen | 04 mars 2026 | 01:13:51 | |
Ready to stop letting software and insurers set your prices? We sit down with restoration veteran and industry advocate Ben Justesen to map out a practical blueprint for blue-collar profit: building your own labor rates, managing WIP with confidence, and turning real culture into a recruiting edge. Ben’s story moves from a $400k patent lawsuit and five years of survival mode to leading markets in pricing by feeding data back into estimating platforms and, more importantly, engineering his own defensible rates from labor burden, overhead, and targeted margins. Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 78 - California Concrete: Navigating Rules and Regulation With Kyle Harris | 25 févr. 2026 | 01:07:49 | |
A good pour rewards speed and precision, but building a company takes a different mix. We sit down with Kyle Harris, president of Harris Company Concrete Construction, to trace how a young finisher who loved the rush of pour days became a leader who runs on systems, coaching, and clear numbers, while navigating California’s maze of regulations without losing his edge. Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 77 - 33 Million Views: How a Ditch Digger Built a Media Empire | With Marvin Joles from In the Mix Podcast | 18 févr. 2026 | 01:12:49 | |
Some stories start with luck. Ours starts with sweat, a $20 bill, and a phone camera. Marvin went from picking shingles in small-town Wisconsin to building a trusted asphalt brand and a media engine that opened doors to stages, sponsors, and a wider mission: make blue-collar work visible, respected, and easier to win. Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 76 - Empower, Don’t Exhaust: Fixing Leadership at the Core With Missy Washam and Mayce DelValle | 11 févr. 2026 | 01:04:58 | |
Ever feel like you’re wearing every hat, working every hour, and still falling behind? We sat down with Missy Washam and Mayce DelValle of Mpactful Messages to unpack a blueprint that actually scales on the jobsite: connect with your people, empower with clarity, and prioritize what moves profit and life forward. No theory, just tools, stories, and steps you can use today. Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 75 - Brewing Brotherhood: A Coffee Brand Born in the Dirt | With Matthew Gleaves | 04 févr. 2026 | 01:09:31 | |
A night shift, a permit delay, and a fresh pot of coffee changed the way Matthew Gleaves thinks about safety. Sitting in a rescue trailer with harnesses and figure eights on the table, he turned small talk into real training and watched incident rates fall while morale climbed. That moment became the spark for Confined Space Coffee, and a blueprint for building a safety culture that crews actually believe in. Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 74 - Scaling Slow, Winning Big With Matt Bachtel | 28 janv. 2026 | 01:12:09 | |
If you think durable companies are built on flash, this conversation will change your mind. We sit down with excavation leader Matt Bachtel to unpack a 26-year journey powered by humble starts, careful decisions, and an unwavering investment in people. From mowing lawns and delivering filters at a dealership to running multi-crew water and sewer work across Northeast Ohio, Matt shows how steady growth and clean execution beat speed every time. Looking to 2026, we break down the firm’s two-year public service line replacement contract for 1,245 homes, the five-page procedure that makes it possible, and the personal discipline that keeps momentum alive when January hype fades. Subscribe, share this with a teammate who’s ready to level up, and leave a review with the toughest operational challenge you want us to tackle next. Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 73 - Win More Bids, Lose Less Money with Baxter Horton | 21 janv. 2026 | 01:01:25 | |
Want to know how general contractors decide which subs to trust with real commercial work? We sit down with Baxter Horton, Director of Pre-Construction at Baldwin Shell, to open the black box of estimating, pre-con, and risk management in a way most folks never get to hear. Baxter’s path from trade partner to GC gives him a rare perspective on what actually wins a bid: clear scope, financial readiness, honest conversations, and a schedule you can defend. Subscribe, share with a teammate who bids, and leave a review telling us the one change you’ll make on your next proposal. Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 72 - Build Better, Share Louder | 14 janv. 2026 | 01:04:54 | |
Ever feel like the dirt world is being defined by people who’ve never set foot on a job site? We brought in Aaron Witt to flip that script with a clear, practical playbook for blue-collar storytelling, leadership development, and building a pipeline of talent who actually understands the work. Aaron walks through his journey from pipe crew laborer to scaling BuildWitt into training and events that put people first, then shows why the simplest moves, like posting on LinkedIn daily, beat expensive, complicated marketing plans. Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 71 - Why 2025 Humbled Me | 07 janv. 2026 | 00:18:23 | |
Want proof that small, consistent moves can change a business and a life? We open the year with a candid reset: what worked in 2025, what flopped, and why culture, systems, and storytelling will drive everything we do in 2026. No buzzwords. Just real lessons from a crew that learned to document the process, own mistakes, and turn that transparency into relationships, opportunities, and a stronger company. Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 70 - Systems, Schools & Screwups: Real Talk for Blue Collar Growth | 31 déc. 2025 | 01:03:12 | |
The jump from “busy” to “built” is where most blue collar shops stall. We open the hood on that leap, talking through the real costs of scaling past $1M: quality wobbling under volume, crews chasing equipment, cash flow stretched by 90-day waits, and owners buying back time with chaos. The fix isn’t a secret playbook, it’s simple systems, written approvals, and leadership that others can follow when you’re not on site. Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 68 - Marketing That Actually Pays | 17 déc. 2025 | 01:11:57 | |
Ready to see how blue-collar media actually turns into real bids, stronger teams, and a clearer brand? We walk through the messy middle of building a YouTube-first strategy from jobsite clips and how-tos to a repeatable system that wins trust. From a million-view shifting tutorial to a small skid steer pull that sparked big connections, we break down what worked, what didn’t, and why storytelling now sits at the center of everything we publish. Subscribe, share this with a buddy who needs the nudge, and drop a comment with your biggest content roadblock so we can tackle it next. Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 67 - How A Tradesman Builds A Website That Wins Work | 10 déc. 2025 | 00:48:35 | |
Tired of chasing the wrong leads and wondering why your shiny site doesn’t ring the phone? We sat down with Australian marketer Wes Towers of Uplift 360 to unpack a simpler path: build a clear, fast website that reflects your crew, publish real job stories tied to your service areas, and push that signal across every channel customers actually use—Google, YouTube, TikTok, and even AI tools like ChatGPT. Click the link above for a free marketing audit with insights to boost your blue collar business! Thumbtack Stop spending all your time searching for weak leads. Book your personalized strategy session today! Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 66 - How Storytelling And Simulators Can Close The Trades Labor Gap | 03 déc. 2025 | 00:47:40 | |
The labor gap isn’t just a numbers story; it’s a connection and knowledge story. We bring on JJ Owen, executive director of the Skilled Careers Coalition and Skills Jam, to map a practical playbook for reaching Gen Z, transferring craft wisdom, and rebuilding the trades pipeline with real stories, real training, and real community. Stop spending all your time searching for weak leads. Book your personalized strategy session today! Blue Collar Performance Marketing Click the link above for a free marketing audit with insights to boost your blue collar business! Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 65 - Profit Is Not A Dirty Word | 26 nov. 2025 | 01:26:45 | |
If you’ve ever stared at your month-end and wondered where the profit went, this conversation is the flashlight you’ve been missing. We talk candidly about the real money leaks in contracting—underbilling, missing labor burden, ignored equipment repairs—and the uncomfortable leadership shift required to fix them. Profit isn’t a dirty word; it’s a discipline, and the Work In Progress (WIP) report is the tool that turns chaos into clarity. Stop spending all your time searching for weak leads. Book your personalized strategy session today! Blue Collar Performance Marketing Click the link above for a free marketing audit with insights to boost your blue collar business! Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 64 - From HVAC to Excavation Boss | 19 nov. 2025 | 00:57:20 | |
A motocross kid with a box blade turns into an excavation owner with a clear head for profit and a deep respect for family time. That’s the arc Cole Morse walks us through, from watching his father rebuild an HVAC business after crisis to selling his first driveway grade and learning, job by job, what makes work sustainable. We dig into the real numbers behind “grossing $450k with a basic setup,” why renting bigger iron can out-earn owning smaller gear, and how a single miscalculated basement dig became a masterclass in swell, walkouts, and estimating discipline. Stop spending all your time searching for weak leads. Book your personalized strategy session today! Blue Collar Performance Marketing Click the link above for a free marketing audit with insights to boost your blue collar business! Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 63 - Fixing Bad Data Before It Breaks Your Job | 12 nov. 2025 | 01:02:28 | |
The fastest way to burn profit is to build off bad data. We sit down with Tylor Foster, founder and CEO of DirtLab, to unpack how rushed designs, mismatched elevations, and vague standards cascade into RFIs, idle equipment, and rework—and how to stop it before a blade ever touches dirt. Tylor draws on years at Granite’s large projects group to show why clean inputs and strong project controls aren’t optional; they’re the foundation that turns weekly WIP into real insight and keeps your forecast honest. Stop spending all your time searching for weak leads. Book your personalized strategy session today! Blue Collar Performance Marketing Click the link above for a free marketing audit with insights to boost your blue collar business! Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||
| Ep. 62 – Visibility Wins: Make the Invisible, Visible | 05 nov. 2025 | 01:02:17 | |
Hard work shouldn’t feel like guesswork. Sy sits down with Zach Estes, founder of Lean Dirt, to unpack a simple, battle-tested way to run civil construction with less chaos and more clarity. We get straight into the 2-3-4 framework, two systems, three actions, four routines, that turns hidden information into visible standards and transforms accountability from a speech into a system. Click the link above for a free marketing audit with insights to boost your blue collar business! Thumbtack Stop spending all your time searching for weak leads. Book your personalized strategy session today! Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Check out our Sponsors: PayDirt Support: paydirtsupport.com Trainual: trainual.com/bluecollar Bolster Built: bolsterbuilt.com Nextiva: nextiva.com Tune in to the Blue Collar Business Podcast with Sy Kirby for the rawest, most relevant stories behind building a successful business in the trades. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 5 am CST—put your boots on and get ready to level up. Follow and stay connected: | |||